Private school fees (merged)

emsywoo123

Discodee wrote: »

Right, my heckles are up!!
I stumbled upon this as went to PM a member and clicked find all posts by instead and HAD to read this!

Sorry but YOUR statement is ridiculous and in brief I'll explain

Both my children are very clever and top of their classes.
They did not go to private school.
BY STAYING AT HOME AND NOT GOING TO WORK IN ORDER TO FIND FEES TO PAY FOR THEIR SCHOOLING I had oodles of time to walk to school with them, counting things, looking for colours, shapes etc etc, play with them, read with them, and they both by 5 had an academic age of 8. THIS IS BECAUSE OF ALL THE TIME I PUT IN PLAYING WITH THEM (But teaching them without them realising) WHICH IS FAR MORE VALUABLE THAN A SNOOTY PRIVATE SCHOOL.
How very polite.
So, it comes to year 6 and we choose high school for my DD. She is very bright and there is a grammar school nearby, so she takes the 11 plus. I do not agree with paying for tuiton; I believe if a child cannot do it on their own, they shouldn't be at grammar school.
I look on an 11 plus webiste and people there are tutoring for 2 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!
I gave my daughter a few practise papers to familiarise herself with the type of questions and talked her through them.
She took the 2 exams and scored 277 out of 282 (98%)

She is now in year 8 at grammar school.
She is the only child in her class who wasn't tutored
She is a whole level above everyone else
Some kids in the class have regular help with reading
Most of her class cannot spell, speak correct English or do simple maths. (One got 4 out ot 40 in a mental maths test)

So sorry, grammar schhol is NOT full of bright kids. My daughter marvels at how poor the academic ability of some of her peers is. Lovely These kids got into grammar school purely and simply because their parents paid to tutor them, and once you've been tutored 2 yeats a blind elephant could pass the 11 plus

My friend works at a private school which boasts a 100% pass ratefor 11 plus and that says it all, does it not, as you cannot make a well below average child into a clever child, but if they're all passing the 11 plus, it shows anyone can be tutored to pass it. They do papers daily from year 3 and from year 5 go in every saturday to do them
My son spends his saturdays playing football not sitting behind a desk.
My daughter sings and dances with friends on a saturday, no desks involved!
By the way my son is nine and is cleverer than most of the 13 yr olds in my DDs class at grammar school
I rest my case. Rant over
As an adage, kids benefit more from on hands parents
Are you suggesting that I am not a hands on parent?
and a bit less cash than 2 parents at work and a private school
As someone said "poorer" kids will be bullied in a a private school
You know this for a fact do you?
Pupils tutored to pass 11 plus will struggle at grammar school and would be better in mainstream. You have to ask, is it a status symbol for YOU,
Due to people like you, I hardly think I make banners boasting about it!
or are you doing it for them??

This post is full of assumptions and criticism.

Discodee

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote: »

No, I was suggesting that Grammar schools do not provide equal acces to all candidates because of the existence of tutors and prep schools. A child' access to said tutors and prep schools is based on their parents' ability to pay

Exactly! The system stinks

emsywoo123

I love it when people are convinced that they know better than everyone else, and tell people how bright and perfect their children are!

emsywoo123

Anyway, must dash, one must go and ensure one's DD is completing her prep.

Discodee

not full of assumptions at all, but your opinion
I have spent the last 13 years at home with my kids, even though I earned more than my hubby. I was happy to live on less, and we do get tax credits. I dont go out, I dont drink, I buy very few clothes and when i do its for coppers in primark

I am just saying there is no need to pay for education if you put effort nto children and the 11 plus is a farce and grammar schools are full of not so bright kids with very rich parents

Sorry if you don't like that but it is true.
And yes I DO know poorer kids get bullied cos as I said my friend works in a private school

Discodee

My children are not perfect at all. if they were they wouldn't be normal
But yes they're very bright, and well adjusted and have lots of fun

Doom_and_Gloom

I quite agree emsywoo123 that Discodee’s post is FULL of assumptions. Not all private schools are snooty I certainly didn‘t go to one like that.

I used to spend my Saturdays dancing as well as it was fun. Around the same time I was part of St Johns ambulance as well and helped the community to in many different ways.

My parents were very good at teaching me things. My ma used to take me shopping and we would stand working out what was the cheapest of the items we wanted; the usual or the offer to get my maths skills up. They were always way higher than most when I was young.

The poorer children that went to the private school/college I went to did not get picked on. They were the ones on scholarships or their grandparents paid the fees. The boyfriend I had when I was there was the second of the two until A-Levels where he got a scholarship. He was one of the most popular people there!

I know not all are like that but please do not assume that all are how you said.

Discodee

kids should not be in school on a saturday. Why bother going in to sing and dance??????????????????????
Weekends are for family fun

However i did not say all schools did that. I said the one my friend works at they go in saturdays from YEAR 5 to do 11 plus papers

emsywoo123

Discodee wrote: »

kids should not be in school on a saturday. Why bother going in to sing and dance??????????????????????
Weekends are for family fun

However i did not say all schools did that. I said the one my friend works at they go in saturdays from YEAR 5 to do 11 plus papers

MY DAUGHTER DOES NOT GO INTO SCHOOL TO SING AND DANCE!!!!

Discodee

Right we are off for a day out now, but before I go
emsy it appears you are berating everyone
I picked these things up from the last page

This is what i originally replied to

This is the most ridiculous statement by far on this thread. Academically clever children will get to grammar. End of.

As I said, total rubbish cos most of em in DDs school (and this is in the top schools in the country!!!) are well below average

Originally Posted by emsywoo123
I I cannot be held responsible for everyone!

Of course you are responsible. You are upholding a system that is totally unjust. Who else is responsible? If you didn't use this bankrupt system it wouldn't exist.

TOTALLY AGREE

But I do not understand why you are so anti prep schools and tutors? It is only an example of where someone chooses to spend their moeny? I have never been on a family holiday abroad-we cannot afford everything, and sacrifices have to be made.
Different people may choose to spend their money on having a flash car-should I demand that we all drive the same cars as someone with more money could buy a better one and overtake me on a motorway?

COMPARING YOUR CHILD TO A CAR????????????/
PMSL

And lastly you said
This is all smacking a little bit of jealousy


Now why would we be jealous of somebody spending loads of dosh on something we get for free????
If you got a cooker for nowt and I went out and bought one for a grand, would you be jealous of me??


Come now, i think thee's too many home truths on this thread so you're attacking those who disagree.